
Am Ah Malayalam Movie Review
Am Ah: A Poignant Tale of Motherhood and Emotional Struggles
'Am Ah' is a film about highlighting the grace and dignity of motherhood in a sentimental premise by leveraging the emotional threads ingrained in the theme. Despite its corny sentimental milieu, the film has a worthy substance to impress viewers in its later stages.In its austere backdrop, 'Am Ah' has a reasonable conflict dominating at the crunch of the tale, evoking hammy vibes. The sentimental milieu appears to be a tad stretching exercise but director Thomas Sebastian, a protege of Sibi Malayil and Blessy, gracefully handles the content by permeating the slice of catharsis in the climax. The film opens with Anju's (Meera Vasudevan) meeting with a doctor regarding her pregnancy. Interestingly, the prologue and the epilogue have a genuine connection even as Anju has a brief appearance on screen. Right from the off, Thomas has tried to create a premise by wrapping the whereabouts of certain characters living beside the dense forest.
Set in Elappara, the flick opens with the arrival of road contractor Stephen in the high-range, played by Dileesh Pothan, who seeks the help of Ward member (Jaffer Idukki) for his accommodation. The roadside tea shop owned by Subin (Navas Vallikkunnu) becomes the shelter of an old man, named Aasan (Jayarajan Kozhikode). While roaming in the forest, Stephen bumps into Amminiyamma (Devadarshini), a resident in the forest with her daughter Kunji (Nihara Anju). In fact, a good amount of time in the first half has been devoted to uneventful sequences and the conflict sets in gradually. The characterization of Aasan, who waits for listening to his light music song on radio, is one of the instances of the director's ploy to infuse intriguing moments in the film.
Initially appearing as a low profile character, Amminiyamma becomes an integral part of the tale. The turning point of 'Am Ah' is the introduction of Jincy, played by Shruthie Jayan, as she gives vital thrust to the plot with a sublime performance. The emotional terrain of the film is bolstered by Shruthie's portrayal of the haunting dilemma of a mother. The tale gets a poignant appeal in this stage and it leans towards a better phase as far as the climax is concerned.
Though the sentimental terrain of the movie is a tad protracted, Kaviprasad Gopinath's script gathers momentum when the layers surrounding the mystery behind the life of Amminiyamma are unfolded. Devadarshini, who gets a major role for the first time in Malayalam, plays to her strength to lend an adequate emotional depth to the obscure character. Amminiyamma's pivotal influence in the tale is further ramped up by the actress with an impressive performance.
The striking and dynamic visuals of Anishlal RS, capturing the wild beauty of the tribal land, add much weight to the plot. 'Am Ah' is intended to be an emotional rollercoaster and the pathetic situation of the child evokes empathy. The film deals with the struggles of women attaining motherhood while showcasing denial of two women of their motherhood in a particular circumstance. Besides, it becomes a social commentary on issues related to surrogacy and its psychological repercussions. The title sums up the theme from the perspective of a child and the central conflict of the storyline sets a platform for the characters to reveal their intentions.
'Am Ah' is a film about highlighting the grace and dignity of motherhood in a sentimental premise by leveraging the emotional threads ingrained in the theme. Despite its corny sentimental milieu, the film has a worthy substance to impress viewers in its later stages.